The Philippine Coast Guard formally accepted two ex-US Coast Guard Marine Protector-class patrol boats in a ceremony in Baltimore, Maryland, on Thursday, August 20.
Ex-USCGC Marlin and ex-USCGC Bluefin will be recommissioned as BRP Pag-Asa and BRP Patag, respectively, following their scheduled arrival in the Philippines in October 2026. The names selected for the boats are those of two Philippine-occupied islands in the disputed Spratlys in the South China Sea.
The transfer of the two patrol boats followed the completion of specialised operational and maintenance training by the 24 Philippine Coast Guard personnel that will serve as their initial crew complements.
The coast guard said the newly acquired boats will be used for maritime domain awareness, oil spill response, and search and rescue.
The US Coast Guard has decommissioned a number of its Marine Protector-class patrol boats, which first entered service in 1999. The vessels are being replaced in coast guard service by the Sentinel-class fast response cutters manufactured by Bollinger Shipyards.
Operators of ex-US Coast Guard Marine Protector-class boats include the Uruguayan Navy, the Ghanaian Navy, and the Lebanese Navy.
The boats each have a length of 87 feet (27 metres), a range of 900 nautical miles, a top speed of 25 knots, and a stern launch and recovery system for use with a rigid inflatable boat.
Armament includes two 12.7mm machine guns.
